Blank for container closures and method of making the same



Jan. 7, 1936. 4 BOMBARD 2,027,343

BLANK FOR CONTAINER CLOSURES AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Sept. 5, 1934 INVENTOR.

- ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 7, 1.936

I LANK FOR CONTAINER CLOSURES AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Leon E. La Bombard, Fulton, N. Y., assignor to Oswego Falls Corporation, Fulton, N. Y., a cor-' poration of New York pplication September 5, 1934, Serial N0. 742,776

/ 2 Claims.

This invention relates to cover-all caps for containers, such as milk bottles, and has for its object a cover-all cap blank having, as an integral and unitary part thereof, a disk for entering the mouth of the container, or bottle, and also the method of forming the blanks of cover-all caps provided with such disks as a unitary part thereof.

The invention consists in the method and in 0 the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the 15, views.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of the multiple blank.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the method of providing the blanks with the center disk.

It is thought to be essentiaL or at least highly desirable, thatmilk bottles be provided, in addition to the usual disk plug closure, with cover-all caps. That is, caps having a skirt portion surrounding and protecting the mouth and neckof the bottle some distance, below the top of the bottle. The reasons for this requirement are well known, and in fact some States have recently passed legislation requiring that milk be dispensed in bottles provided with such cover-all caps. Heretofore, where cover-all caps have been used, the milk bottles have been capped with the usual disk closure and thereafter, the cover-all cap has been applied to the bottle by a separate machine involving additional handling of the bottled milk. Another method employed has been to apply the hood cap and-the plug closure simultaneously by the one machine, in which instance the cover-all caps, or the blanks therefor, have been formed and shipped to the dairy, and the regular disk plug cap formed and shipped separately. The chief disadvantage of the first method is the double handling of the bottle and the additional expense of operating two capping machines. The chief disadvantage of the second method is the separate handling of the cover-all cap, or blank, and the plug disk closure. Also, in addition to the requirement of having two different sets of caps, and the handling thereof,

it is also necessary in the cap applying machine to have two different sets of mechanisms, one for feeding the disk plug closure, and one for feeding the cover-all cap or blank.

One of the objects of this invention is a coverall cap blank with a disk as a unitary part therewith the disk of, so that the disk and cap are applied as a unit in the same operation without two feeding mechanisms.

Another object is a cover-all cap whereby the dairyman, or customer, purchases but one blank and does not have to purchase and handle disk plug closures separately.

An important feature is that the disk and cover-all cap blanks can be assembled by the manufacturer much more economically and sold more economically to the customer, or dairyman, than is the case of selling cover-all blanks and a separate set of disks.

This blank for cover-all caps consists of a body having a portion l for forming the skirt of the cap, and a separate disk 2 secured to the body portion centrally thereof, "it being understood that the body portion may be suitably scored, or provided, with fold lines so that it will fold down over the neck of the milk bottle a considerable distance below the mouth of the bottle, while the central portion of the body extends over the mouth of the body. The closure disk may be applied on either the under side of'the central portion of the blank, or on the upper side or, the ca so applied on the bottle that the closure disk ex ends toward the inside of the bottle, or extends outwardly with the central portion of the cap underlying the plug closure. The manner in which the cover-all cap is eventually secured to the bottle forms no part of this invention. The cap may be secured by special folding of the skirt portion, by application of adhesive, or by metal rings, or staples.

' Preferably, for general dairy use, where a large number of bottles are capped at a time, the individual blank bodies are part of a multiple blank consisting of a series of. such individual bodies 2 applied at regular uniform intervals' along the multiple blank strip. The disk 2 may be secured to the body blanks l by any suitable means such as staples, or adhesive. As here shown, the disks are secured to the body blanks by adhesive.

Preferably, the multiple blanks, or strips with the disks thereon, are furnished to the dairyman in rolls, and the'blanks, or strip, are fed automatically through the capping machine which is provided with suitable mechanism for separating the individual blank from the strip and applying it to the bottle. The strip may be fed, or indexed, through the capping machine by mechanism cooperating with the disk 2, or by suitable registeringperforations formed in the body of the cap blank.

cap with the disk fixed thereto may be applied by hand, and the skirt portion of the cover-all cap secured to the bottle by means of a rubber band, or in a similar manner.

My cover-all cap blank is of particular advantage for this use, in view of the fact that the retail store-keeper is not obliged to purchase a quantity of cover-all caps and a quantity of disk plugs, but needs only to buy a tube, or carton, of the cover-all blanks which can be readily applied by hand to meet the requirements of the law pertaining to the dispensing of milk, and similar liquids.

The method of forming the cover-all cap blanks comprehended herein consists in feeding a blank strip H of flexible material, such as paper, or thin sheet aluminum, from a roll l2 to a blanking mechanism indicated at l3 consisting of opposing punch and die which blank out the body I. This mechanism may also perform the necessary scoring, if such is desired. The strip l I is then fed, or indexed, along to an adhesive applying device M which applies an adhesive material, as indicated at l6, Figure 1. The strip H progresses to the next station I! which consists of a mechanism for applying the disk 2 to the central portion of the body l where the adhesive I6 has been applied at the previous station. The strip is then preferably passed through a drying device l8 for the purpose of hastening the drying of the adhesive so that the strip l l, with the disk 2 secured thereto, may be wound into the roll I! to be shipped to the customer. It is understood that the mechanisms l3, H, "are operated in any well known manner, and so synchronized that the respective operations are performed while the strip H is motionless. Also, a stapling device may be substituted for the adhesive applying device I4, and arranged to operate after the cap has been applied to the strip. 10

As referred to above, this cover-all cap blank is particularly advantageous to thelarge dairy because of the unitary combination of the coverall blank and the plug disk which results in lower shipping cost, and lower expense in applying the cap to the bottle. It is also particularly advantageous to the small user, and the retail store, in that it provides a cover-all cap and plug disk which may be conveniently applied to the bottle by hand in one operation.

What I claim is:

1. An article of manufacture, a strip of thin, flexible material comprising a series of connected and partially blanked bottle closures, and a disk of comparatively stiff material of substantial thickness permanently secured to each closure blank.

2. A method of forming bottle closures consisting in partially blanking out a series of connected individual closures in a strip of thin, fiexs0 ible material; coating one side of each blank with adhesive, applying a, disk of comparatively stiff material of substantial thickness to the coated area of each blank, permitting the adhesive to set, and subsequently rolling the strip with the disk attached thereto into rolled form.

LEON E. LA BOMBARD. 

